New York has nine new sports betting operators, and the sports betting partnership craze for its professional teams has only just begun.
Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks and New York Rangers have a multi-year sports betting partnership with BetMGM, the sides announced in a Tuesday news release.
The New York State Gaming Commission officially selected BetMGM as an online sports betting operator in the Empire State on Monday. Fans at MSG could potentially be betting on their teams from the arena in January.
BetMGM takes center stage at Madison Square Garden
BetMGM ads will figure prominently at the Garden, on MSG Network and across the Knicks’ and Rangers’ social media platforms.
“We’re excited to be partnering with BetMGM — a leader in the sports betting and gaming entertainment industry — to bring them an unparalleled platform in sports and entertainment,” Ron Skotarczak, MSG executive VP of marketing partnerships, said in a statement.
“MSG Sports and MSG Entertainment are made up of world-renowned brands that set industry standards for excellence, exposure and engagement– making us ideal partners to help drive sports betting’s continued growth.”
In addition, BetMGM NY will receive “substantial brand integration” inside MSG. That includes courtside and ribbon LED signage as well as GardenVision features. On top of that, signage will adorn basket stanchions during Knicks games and dasherboard and Zamboni branding during Rangers events.
Digital boards outside the Garden will also display the BetMGM name. Plus, according to the release, users of the sportsbook “will receive special opportunities to participate in premium experiences at Knicks and Rangers games.”
New York pro teams form sports betting connections
Matt Prevost, CRO of BetMGM, noted the thrill of the brand name’s association with the iconic Garden as well as the significance of expanding into New York.
“New York is a critical state for BetMGM’s continued growth and I can’t think of a better way to begin our relationship with The Empire State than partnering with The World’s Most Famous Arena and their legendary team franchises.”
The Knicks and Rangers were among the local teams to not publicly support a particular bid during the online sports betting applicant process in New York. The Mets elected to do the same. Meanwhile, the Yankees, Bills and Sabres supported the consortium featuring FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM and Bally’s, which the state selected. (The Nets supported Fanatics, which the New York State Gaming Commission did not choose.)
Now that the process is near completion, expect more New York teams to announce similar deals in the near future.
As lines become blurred, and the online sports betting boom continues to evolve in the US, it will be interesting to see how the branding process evolves. Could the next frontier be something like “BetMSG” or “KnicksBet?” It’s definitely something TV executives have discussed.
